Sarah Murnaghan Lung Transplant: Dying Girl Moved To Adult Donor List

Sarah Murnaghan and her family may finally be getting the answers they’ve wanted and deserved. A Pennsylvania judge ruled in favor of the 10-year-old on June 5 to grant her family’s desperate plea to make her eligible to seek adult lungs for transplant.

Sarah Murnaghan is now on the adult transplant list for new lungs. After legislation initially prevented her from being on the list because of her age, Sarah’s fight for life against Cystic Fibrosis captivated the nation, and now a judge is giving her a “fighting chance at life.”

Judge Backs Sarah’s Petition To Be On Adult Transplant List

The previous legislation prevented Sarah from being on the adult list because she was too young. The law, which has been in place since 2005, allowed surgery for patients over the age of 12 and could be fixed based on the severity of the illness versus the amount of time on the waiting list.

However, U.S. District Judge Michael Baylson temporarily lifted the rule because of the severity of Sarah’s illness — she is suffering from end-stage Cystic fibrosis and is on a ventilator.

Congressman Praises Judges’ Ruling In Sarah’s Case

After the temporary ruling was put in place on June 5, Pennsylvania congressman Patrick Meehan voiced his approval of the ruling.

“This ruling protects Sarah’s rights under the Constitution and gives her a fighting chance at life. Sarah now has the opportunity to be afforded her appropriate place on the waiting list. It’s what Sarah, her parents and all those who support them have been fighting for all along,” Meehan said on his website.

Now, the main focus is finding Sarah a viable pair of lungs. The ruling will be in effect until June 14, when there will be another hearing. However, this gives Sarah and her family a 10-day window to find a match that could put her at the top of the list.